Albanian Alphabet Day celebrated in Macedonia

TIRANA, Nov. 23 – Albanian speakers in Macedonia celebrated on Monday, November 22, the 102nd anniversary of the Albanian Alphabet Day, one of the most important events of Albanian history and identity. This holiday commemorates the Congress of Manastir, held from 14 to 22 November, 1908, in today’s Bitola, Macedonia.
In 1908, four years before Albania would declare its independence from the Ottoman Empire, Albanian intellectuals and delegates gathered at the congress to choose an official alphabet for the Albanian language. They unanimously decided to adopt the current Latin alphabet consisting of 36 letters, removing the also popular Istanbul alphabet as a standard form. Simplicity and ease of use turned out to be big advantages for the Latin alphabet, and it quickly became the dominant choice.
The building where the delegates gathered to make the historic decision 102 years ago currently serves as a museum of Albanian Alphabet.
The event was also hailed by Macedonia’s top officials who sent notes congratulating the Day of Albanian Alphabet to members of the Albanian ethnic community in Macedonia, which makes up around 30 percent of the total population.
“We are proud of the significant place that the Bitola Congress has in the development of Albanian science and culture. As President of a country that appreciates the contribution of all ethnic communities to our cultural and scientific progress, let me express hope that the Albanian community in Macedonia will continue to freely enhance its culture and nurture Albanian tradition in the country”, read the note of President Gjorge Ivanov as quoted by Macedonian agencies.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Macedonia Philip Reeker met with Ramiz Abdyli at the Pjeter Bogdani Institute to commemorate the Day of the Albanian Alphabet. The Institute celebrates the cultural and spiritual heritage of Albanians.
“I enjoyed the opportunity to discuss the Institute and it’s mission, in terms of heritage, spiritual heritage, literary heritage, it’s an important part of the diverse cultural heritage that makes Macedonia unique,” said the ambassador.
No special events to commemorate this year’s anniversary of the alphabet were held in Albania.
The Albanian language (shqip) is spoken by over six million people in the southwestern Balkans, primarily in the Republic of Albania and in the neighbouring countries which once formed part of the Yugoslav federation (Kosova, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia). In Albania itself, the language is spoken by the entire population of 3,087,159 inhabitants (census of April 2001), including some bilingual ethnic minorities, researchers say.